It was this well singing ensemble that we heard the 11. and they deserve all compliments for their singing and performing. The leading in the very best hands, by the conductor Marcello Viotti.
Tosca - Fiorenza Cedolins
This wonderful soprano is making her debut at the Opera de Paris as Tosca, and I am shure that this will not be the last role for her at Opera De PAris. She has all the qualitees for a young well singing lyric dramatic soprano. When coming on stage, she is the one who your eyes are following, she is acting well, she is singing wonderfull, and have all the power there is needed to raise over the big orchestra, and it is still sounding very beautiful. She has enough capacity to hold the powerfull wonderfull tunes long long time, and she is in duets always easy to hear. A very pleasant meeting with a wonderfull soprane.
Cavaradossi - Marcello Giordani
I shall be honest. I liked mr Giordanis singing and performing as Cavaradossi. The voice is big, beautiful and powerfull, he is good looking, you trust in him as Cavaradossi. You see that he is a noble man that you can belive in.
He didnt have any good help from the scenography, in the third act, he is left alone on stage with only some soldiers to disturbe his performance. Cut these soldiers in the beginning out.
Scarpia - Falk Struckmann
A powerfull, handsome and good looking Scarpia, trustfull and real. A wondefull real Scarpia voice, you are being afraid of the big power which are in the hands of this man.
But, strange, in his costumes in first and second act, he is looking like he is two different persons. Why does he have to die laying on the table. And why is Tosca sticking him and killing him only, with a little stick from the knife. It has to be more powerfull.
Strange and misunderstod Scenografi
Strange scenografi by Alberte Barsacq, first act could pas, second act strange, notthing to do with the basic history, and the third act is completely misunderstod by the scenographer. It dont help to try to make some thing just to be original, it dont give the scenographer, Alberte Barsacq, any good reputation. After seeing this Tosca, I cannot recommend her as scenographer anywhere. I regret.
Costumes
The costumes, also by Alberte Barsacq was something a little better, at least she has keept the style of the basic history, but still Toscas two costumes are not perfect, and specially the first one. The white silk look costume in first act shows richness, but bad test, and the white strange band around the head, is only looking, like she has not had enough time to make the hair well enough.
Missing regi details
The "mise en scene" regissoeur is Werner Schroeter. He is missing some details. in stead of letting the singers use and fill up the stage,- It is an extremely wide stage,- he is in the third act, - with all the beautiful music, which can stay for it self- , putting in a little history about a dead soldier, it has notting to do with the history, and it only takes the attention away from the real history the beautiful singing and music. Further on, the little shepheard boy, who is bringing his sheeps out on the field, is here changed to a boy singing a history. That will say, that we are not hearing the sheeps bells, the audience, who dont know better, dont understand why that little boy is on stage, singing a small solo, by the way, very well performed.
The opera management should see and stop such mistakes before it is coming to the premiere, and at least not letting it continue and continue.
However. The singing and music was excellent. Back stage music and sounds very good. The lightdesign by Andre Diot superb. The cast in the minor roles good.
Henning Hoholt, hoeholthus@c2i.net
